Compendium of Approaches to Internationalisation of the Home Curriculum

Abstract

For decades, universities and higher education institutions in Ireland and abroad have pursued a strategy of internationalisation. Whereas in the past, internationalisation in higher education may have been driven by economic motivations with an emphasis on mobility and co-operation, it has been defined more recently by de Wit et al. (2015) as ‘the intentional process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions and delivery of post-secondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for all students and staff, and to make a meaningful contribution to society’. Increasingly, the focus is on Internationalisation at Home, which seeks to offer all students global perspectives during their programme of study, regardless of whether they can avail of mobility opportunities to spend time abroad. It allows us to learn from and with others, exploring new ideas and opportunities while also responding to the sustainability imperative. Within the formal curriculum, it may comprise specialist programmes, foreign language modules and internationalised learning outcomes and course content, but as explained by Beelen and Jones (2015, p.63), internationalisation of the home curriculum ‘is also delivered through the informal curriculum, the nonassessed elements of the student experience, which are nevertheless provided by or associated with the institution’.